School of Positive Transformation: Resilience Practitioner Certification

This certificate is open to beginners and experienced professionals — no prior experience in psychology or coaching is required. It’s designed for coaches, therapists, psychologists, educators, school counselors, HR and leadership professionals, social workers, foster parents, faith leaders, medical professionals, wellness practitioners, and community facilitators who want to integrate evidence-based resilience tools into their work with children, adults, and marginalized populations.

The curriculum spans eight modules and 32 video lessons. Module 1 covers diagnosing resilience, protective factors, cultural perspectives, and the practitioner’s catalytic role. Module 2 explores rugged resilience, inner strengths, hidden resources, and four client archetypes. Module 3 introduces the Five Phases of Helping: trust-building, assessment, contracting, doing the work, and managing transitions. Modules 4 and 5 are practical toolkits — ten Navigation strategies and ten Negotiation power moves — each anchored by real-life case studies.

Module 6 walks through the R2 Resilience Program: its key elements, design principles, stages of implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness. Module 7 covers successful resilience adaptation — personal transformation, resourcefulness, developing new strengths, and redefining expectations. Module 8 extends the work to community resilience, collective change, and leadership as a helper. Throughout, the program blends positive psychology, neuroscience, and wellbeing science with downloadable tools, guided exercises, and reflective assignments practitioners can use with clients immediately.

The program is led by Professor Michael Ungar, Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University. He is the author of 18 books and 335 scientific publications, and his frameworks are used worldwide in education, mental health, social work, and community development. The School of Positive Transformation has trained more than 15,000 students across 60 countries.

The course is fully online and self-paced. It includes 32 structured video lessons, 32 practical and transformational activities, downloadable tools, guided exercises, reflective assignments, and templates students can apply with clients right away. Students get lifetime access to all materials and can complete the certificate in as little as six weeks. Optional weekly live Q&A sessions and access to a private community provide ongoing support.

The curriculum spans eight modules and 32 video lessons. Module 1 covers diagnosing resilience, protective factors, cultural perspectives, and the practitioner’s catalytic role. Module 2 explores rugged resilience, inner strengths, hidden resources, and four client archetypes. Module 3 introduces the Five Phases of Helping: trust-building, assessment, contracting, doing the work, and managing transitions. Modules 4 and 5 are practical toolkits — ten Navigation strategies and ten Negotiation power moves — each anchored by real-life case studies.

Module 6 walks through the R2 Resilience Program: its key elements, design principles, stages of implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness. Module 7 covers successful resilience adaptation — personal transformation, resourcefulness, developing new strengths, and redefining expectations. Module 8 extends the work to community resilience, collective change, and leadership as a helper. Throughout, the program blends positive psychology, neuroscience, and wellbeing science with downloadable tools, guided exercises, and reflective assignments practitioners can use with clients immediately.